Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) October 8, 2007 — Today, Watermark Learning, a globally recognized provider of business requirements analysis and project management training, will once again transform the way project professionals manage their projects with the debut of its presentation, “Oh No, You Gave Me What I Asked For! Common Pitfalls to Uncovering Expectations” at PMI Global Congress North America in Atlanta, GA.

The presentation is based on the paper of the same name by Watermark Learning principals Elizabeth & Richard Larson, both registered project management professionals (PMPs) and certified business analysis professionals (CBAPs).

Garnered from their decades of experience with both business analysis and project management training, the paper and presentation speak to the inescapable reality that any project ignoring the importance of uncovering customer expectations is susceptible to failure, despite otherwise outstanding execution.

“Uncovering expectations, at its core level, is about the art of consultative questioning,” states Watermark Learning CEO Elizabeth Larson. “As we have trained students of our project management and business analysis training programs throughout the years, mastering this art will lead to more success in analyzing, documenting, and validating customer requirements. And, it is an essential skill in discovering customer expectations about the products our projects introduce.”

Any project manager who hopes to achieve skillful mastery of this art, must first define a customer’s expectations by identifying their custom requirements.

Powerful methods detailed for achieving this objective include:

• Overcoming all too common pitfalls, such as asking the right questions the wrong way.
• Synthesizing responses to customers by not only actively listening, but paraphrasing and clarifying requirements through relevant questions.
• Recommending solutions tailored for acceptance that speak to the needs of all those who will be affected by its implementation.

“Elizabeth and I look forward to imparting these lessons learned through our years of project management and business analysis experience via this new paper and presentation,” states Watermark Learning founder and President Richard Larson. “We believe that both new and experienced project managers will take away ideas and techniques designed to enhance performance and produce enduring results.”

The presentation “Oh No, You Gave Me What I Asked For! Common Pitfalls to Uncovering Expectations” based on the paper of the same name by Watermark Learning principals Elizabeth & Richard Larson, will debut at 10am today at the PMI Global Congress in Atlanta, GA.

About Watermark Learning
Watermark Learning is a globally recognized business analysis and project management skill development company. Watermark Learning offers training and mentoring on Project Management, Business Requirements Analysis, Influencing Skills, and UML training. 3M Company, Boston Scientific, Cargill, Inc., The Hartford, Travelers Insurance, Northwest Airlines, United Health Group, U.S. Bank, and other Fortune 1000 size organizations. http://www.watermarklearning.com.

###

Minneapolis, MN (PRWEB) May 10, 2007 — http://www.watermarklearning.com Thursday, May 24, Watermark Learning, a globally recognized business requirements analysis and project management skill development company, will be celebrating its fifteenth year birthday with an open house and tour of its new corporate headquarters in Minneapolis, MN.

In 1992, Richard Larson, PMP, CBAP, founded Watermark Learning with the goal of guiding teams to produce enduring results through training focused on a practical approach, industry best practices, and engaging delivery. In the fifteen years since, Watermark Learning has proudly developed, delivered and perfected its own sought-after training based on firsthand, real world experience; and helped thousands along the way.

“We are thrilled to offer an afternoon where we can invite friends and colleagues to tour our new offices and share their past successes,” states founder Richard Larson. “We also look forward to sharing details on exciting upcoming developments, such as our newest class focusing on Certified Business Analyst Professional (CBAP) Certification Preparation set to begin this September.”

CBAP Certification Preparation is just one of the more advanced classes offered by Watermark Learning as it remains committed to offering the most up to date real world training geared towards all skill levels. Whether a class registrant requires the basic skill training of Project Management Fundamentals, or looks to advance to the next level through the aforementioned CBAP Certification Preparation, Watermark Learning looks forward to an afternoon where it may share more details directly with friends and colleagues.

In addition to learning information on Watermark Learning’s upcoming classes and touring the new headquarters, visitors will also experience the newest, most exciting way yet to learn about business requirements analysis and project management training with Watermark Learning’s “Wheel of Training”.

“Each visitor will get a chance to spin the wheel and test their PM or BA knowledge, and one lucky visitor will get the chance to learn even more by winning our grand prize of a free public training course,” states Larson. “While only one will enjoy our grand prize, all visitors will enjoy an afternoon of fun and learning.”

RSVP’s for Watermark Learning’s open house may be sent to leads @ watermarklearning.com and are requested by Tuesday, May 22.

About Watermark Learning
Watermark Learning is a globally recognized business analysis and project management skill development company. Watermark Learning offers training and mentoring on Project Management, Business Requirements Analysis, Facilitation, and UML training. Clients include professionals from 3M, Riverside Health Systems, Cargill, Inc., Carlson Companies, Dell Computers, Honeywell, State of Minnesota and other Fortune 1000 organizations.

###

Minneapolis, MN (PRWeb) March 28, 2007 — http://www.watermarklearning.com Watermark Learning, a globally recognized provider of business requirements analysis & project management training, will be in Toronto, Ontario all this week for Project World Business Analyst World: Toronto 2007.

Principals, Elizabeth Larson, PMP, CBAP, and Richard Larson, PMP, will be co-presenting their popular presentation “Influencing Without Authority: Rev Up Your Internal Consulting Skills” to a mix of business analysis and project management professionals on Wednesday and conducting a 2-Day Use Case Modeling Workshop Thursday and Friday.

“Richard & I are thrilled with the opportunity to present at Project World: Toronto,” states Elizabeth Larson, PMP, CBAP. Larson adds, “Influencing Without Authority: Rev Up Your Internal Consulting Skills,” is designed to help project managers and business analysts of all skill levels understand why building a solution without determining the business need leads to project failure. It’s already helped hundreds of teams get to the root cause of business problems and through this event we hope to help hundreds more.”

The nearly 3500 attendees at Project World: Toronto will experience up to four days of focused symposium track sessions and full day workshops as well as a tradeshow where they can experience the latest in business analysis and project management training.

“Attendees visiting our booth will experience an exciting new way to learn about business analysis & project management training through the unveiling of Watermark Learning’s Wheel of Training,” states Richard Larson, PMP. “Each attendee will get to spin the wheel and test their PM or BA knowledge. While only one lucky attendee will win our grand prize of a free public training course, everyone will walk away with fuller pockets and a fuller mind.”

For more information on Watermark Learning’s participation in Project World Business Analyst World: Toronto, as well as participation in other upcoming events, visit http://www.watermarklearning.com/events.html

About Watermark Learning
Watermark Learning is a globally recognized business analysis and project management skill development company. Watermark Learning offers training and mentoring on Project Management, Business Requirements Analysis, Facilitation, and UML training. Clients include professionals from Wells Fargo Bank, 3M, GMAC/RFC, Cargill, Inc., Securian Financial, MetLife, State of Minnesota, Avnet, Allianz Life, Cox Communications, and other Fortune 1000 organizations.
http://www.watermarklearning.com

###

Many companies today understand the benefit of growing the business analysis functions in their organization. While business analysis can add much value to organizations by increasing corporate efficiency and helping to launch new products and services, there are emerging challenges to be addressed.

“I believe the biggest challenge in projects today is defining requirements,” said Richard Larson, Co-Principal of Watermark Learning. “Business requirements analysis is a recurring challenge and getting requirements right is harder than ever.”

According to Larson, the main issues surrounding requirements definition are:

• Lack of time to gather and analyze requirements
• Clients provide solutions in the guise of requirements
• Finding necessary stakeholders and getting them to consensus once they are found
• Clients cannot articulate their requirements or provide incomplete requirements
• Changing and volatile requirements

“With the evolution of technology and global business, there are even more complications added to the requirements definition mix,” said Larson. “Cross cultural relations and geographically dispersed stakeholders all contribute to the challenge.”

Watermark Learning recognizes the importance of effective business requirements analysis and has focused on it since 1992, including featuring it through its business analysis training and certification program.

Listen to a podcast about effective business requirements analysis at
http://www.watermarklearning.com/businessRAtraining.html

About Watermark Learning
Watermark Learning is a leading project management training, business analysis certification and requirements analysis skill development company. Watermark Learning is also a Project Management Institute (PMI®) Global Registered Education Provider, and an IIBA (International Institute of Business Analysis) Endorsed Education Provider. Watermark Learning is headquartered in Minneapolis, MN and provides business analysis and project management training courses for clients around the world. More information about the company can be found at www.watermarklearning.com

As the project management industry evolves, so do the challenges faced by project managers. Watermark Learning is coaching project managers on how to communicate effectively with their entire project team and improve their project success rate.

“I think there are several major challenges in project management today,” said Elizabeth Larson, PMP, CEO and Principal of Watermark Learning, “one of the largest is gathering requirements from clients who believe they already have the solution.”

Communication is a key element to effective project management and many of the challenges that project managers face are relationship-based. According to Larson, the top 5 challenges are:

1. Gathering complete business requirements.
2. Working with teams from different backgrounds and cultures.
3. Working with geographically-dispersed team members.
4. Establishing trust and getting buy-in from business customers.
5. Having sponsors and business customers take responsibility for the project’s requirements.

“Many clients do no understand why the project manager wants to spend time defining their needs,” said Larson. “This in turn makes the project manager reluctant to ask questions that are important in determining the real business need behind the client’s stated solution.”

Elizabeth Larson and Co-Principal, Richard Larson, will be speaking at the upcoming PMI Global Congress in Seattle, October 21 – 23, 2006. In a presentation entitled “Influencing Without Authority,” they will address some of the challenges faced by project managers and how they can respectfully question key stakeholders about their real business needs.

Listen to a podcast on the key challenges faced by project managers and register for the PMI Global Congress.

About Watermark Learning
Watermark Learning is a leading project management training, business analysis certification and requirements analysis skill development company. Watermark Learning is also a Project Management Institute (PMI®) Global Registered Education Provider, and an IIBA (International Institute of Business Analysis) Endorsed Education Provider. Watermark Learning is headquartered in Minneapolis, MN and provides business analysis and project management training courses for clients around the world. More information about the company can be found at www.watermarklearning.com.

One year later, Watermark Learning is pleased by the response to its business analysis certification program and believes this is indicative of an industry calling out for advanced training in business analysis.

“In today’s competitive landscape, businesses must perform with razor sharp efficiency and productivity,” said Terri Swanson, Watermark Learning, COO. “More business leaders are recognizing the value that business analysis training brings to an employee’s contribution and the effectiveness of an organization as a whole.”

Since launching the Masters Certificate in Business Analysis in July 2005, Watermark Learning has received hundreds of participants in the program, including Allianz Life, a life insurance company.

Allianz Life identified the business analysis process as their key problem area providing inconsistent deliverables. They therefore established a Business Analyst Center of Practice to ensure that their business analysts had the framework, processes, skills and techniques to excel in their profession. As part of this initiative, Allianz Life looked to partner with a training vendor who could provide a professional business analysis certification program based on industry best practices, designed to specifically address their business needs.

“Allianz Life engaged Watermark Learning for training because of its Masters Certificate Program in Business Analysis as well as its practical learning approach based on best practices,” said Lynn Lang, Allianz Life. “Not only will our business analysts receive a Masters Certificate, but they will also gain Professional Development Units through PMI as well as CEUs through Auburn University.”

Watermark Learning is actively involved in raising industry awareness of the value of business analysis and was just named an IIBA Endorsed Education Provider. Watermark Learning has helped create the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) chapters in Minneapolis and Phoenix.

Principals and Founders, Elizabeth Larson, PMP, and Richard Larson, PMP, have helped develop the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK), a document created to identify the key tasks that a business analyst would be expected to understand and perform. Elizabeth Larson was also chosen to participate in the IIBA BABOK exam writing committee in Toronto this month.

For more information on Watermark Learning’s Business Analysis Certification Program, visit http://www.watermarklearning.com/businessAnalysisLdg.html

About Watermark Learning
Since 1992, Watermark Learning has been a leader in the project management, business analysis and business requirement analysis industries. Consistently ranked among the top 25 customized training firms by the Business Journal Newspaper, Watermark Learning has also earned the distinction of being a Project Management Institute (PMI®) Global Registered Education Provider and an Outstanding Corporate Partner from PMI Minnesota. Watermark Learning is headquartered in Minneapolis, MN and provides business management courses for clients around the world. More information about the company can be found at www.watermarklearning.com.

Richard Larson, PMP and Watermark Learning Principal, spoke to members of the PMI Honolulu chapter about how they could most efficiently use Business Process Modeling in their organization.

“Watermark Learning is dedicated to providing organizations with the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively manage themselves,” said Richard Larson. “Without these skills, organizations are simply unable to adapt to the rapid changes of the business world.”

Watermark Learning believes there are five steps to implementing business process management within an organization:

1. Identify
2. Define
3. Refine
4. Implement
5. Manage

Watermark Learning insists that the secret to successful business process management lies in the development of mechanisms within an organization that enable easy replication of processes as they are developed.

“Ad hoc process makes replication extremely difficult,” said Richard Larson. “When a process is not repeatable, it is out of control.”

The replication and control mantras touted by business process modeling are helping organizations establish ongoing structured processes that are dedicated to achieving corporate efficiency.

For more information on Business Process Modeling training, visit http://www.watermarklearning.com/businessProcessLdg.html

Register for a Watermark Learning Business Process Modeling training course at http://www.watermarklearning.com/courseDetail.html?NAME=BusProcMod

About Watermark Learning
Since 1992, Watermark Learning has been a leader in the project management, business analysis and business requirement analysis industries. Consistently ranked among the top 25 customized training firms by the Business Journal Newspaper, Watermark Learning has also earned the distinction of being a Project Management Institute (PMI®) Global Registered Education Provider and an Outstanding Corporate Partner from PMI Minnesota. Watermark Learning is headquartered in Minneapolis, MN and provides business management courses for clients around the world. More information about the company can be found at www.watermarklearning.com.

Swanson will continue Watermark Learning’s efforts to expand into other markets and to share the knowledge and expertise of its principals and instructors through project management and business analysis related:

- Onsite Training
- Public Classes
- Masters Certificate Programs
- Mentoring/Coaching

“I am impressed with the quality and depth of the training that Watermark Learning provides,” Swanson said. “Watermark Learning’s genuine concern for helping clients solve their business needs, and our openness to customizing training and mentoring services to match these needs, is something that everyone in business should know about.”

Swanson plans to update the eNewsletter, Website and to help principals Elizabeth Larson, PMP, and Richard Larson, PMP, publish and promote their first book, “Nail Requirements Flat.”

“Nail Requirements Flat” will present the critical factors for quickly nailing requirements, and the techniques that will contribute to successful projects every time. It will focus on how effective business analysis can supply the missing ingredients to reduce or eliminate challenged projects, capture vital functionality, and delight clients.

For more information on Watermark Learning, visit http://www.watermarklearning.com or call 1-800-646-9362.

About Watermark Learning
Watermark Learning is a leading project management and requirements analysis training and skill development company. Founded by industry veterans, Elizabeth Larson & Richard Larson, Watermark Learning also offers Masters Certificate Programs through Auburn University in Business Analysis and Project Management. Watermark Learning maintains training facilities in both Minnesota and Arizona.

Watermark Learning Co-Principal, Richard Larson, PMP, will deliver a presentation on business requirements analysis at the upcoming Delivering Project Excellence event in Scottsdale, AZ, June 5 – 7, 2006.

“Obtaining customer requirements is one of the most difficult stages of project management,” said Richard Larson. “Oftentimes, customers are reluctant, unavailable or simply unable to define their business requirements.”

Larson will directly address this common dilemma facing project managers and will provides tips on how to respectfully question key stakeholders about their real needs and provide recommendations that best meet their business objectives.

In his presentation “Want to Be a ‘Star’ in Requirements Planning?” Larson will share a set of professional interviewing techniques to help project managers and business analysts properly gather business requirements.

These techniques will include:
• How to summarize your findings & recommendations
• How to feel good about asking questions
• How to get stakeholder buy-in and interest

“Ultimately, the client wants a solution that will get to the root of the business problem,” said Larson. “Digging down to the root is where effective requirements gathering is crucial.”

Event Information
“Want to Be a ‘Star’ in Requirements Planning? Time to Rev-up your Internal Consulting Skills.”
Tuesday, June 6, 2006
3.10 – 3.50 pm
Scottsdale Resort, Spa & Conference Center, AZ

Register for the Delivering Project Excellence event at https://www.dpe2006.info/regis.html

For more information on effective business requirements analysis, visit
http://www.watermarklearning.com/businessRAtraining.html

About Watermark Learning
Watermark Learning is a leading project management and requirements analysis training and skill development company. Founded by industry veterans, Elizabeth Larson & Richard Larson, Watermark Learning also offers Masters Certificate Programs through Auburn University in Business Analysis and Project Management. Watermark Learning maintains training facilities in both Minnesota and Arizona.
http://www.watermarklearning.com

“How to Create a Clear Project Plan in Six Easy Steps” written by Watermark Learning Principals, Elizabeth Larson, PMP, and Richard Larson, PMP, appears in the book “Readings in Information Technology Project Management,” by Dr. Gary Richardson and Charles Butlers.

“Creating a clear project plan is one of the most critical phases in project management,” said Richard Larson, Principal, “not only is it the project manager’s roadmap, but it is also a premier communications tool throughout the project.”

“How to Create a Clear Project Plan in Six Easy Steps” outlines the necessary components of project planning:

• Step 1: Explain the project plan to key stakeholders and discuss its key components
• Step 2: Define roles and responsibilities
• Step 3: Develop a Scope Statement
• Step 4: Develop the project baselines
• Step 5: Create baseline management plans
• Step 6: Communicate!

“We were thrilled to be a part of this endeavor,” Elizabeth Larson, Watermark Learning Principal and CEO explains, “Having our article included in such a distinguished piece of literature is greatly rewarding.”

To request a copy of the “How to Create a Clear Project Plan in Six Easy Steps” article, please contact Watermark Learning at www.watermarklearning.com

To purchase “Readings in Information Technology Project Management,” by Dr. Gary Richardson and Charles Butlers, click here.

About Watermark Learning
Watermark Learning is a leading project management and requirements analysis training and skill development company. Founded by industry veterans, Elizabeth Larson & Richard Larson, Watermark Learning also offers Masters Certificate Programs through Auburn University in Business Analysis and Project Management. Watermark Learning maintains training facilities in both Minnesota and Arizona. For more information, visit http://www.watermarklearning.com or call 800.646.9362.